What Founding Advice Cloud Has Taught Me
12 years ago, I started Advice Cloud with a fairly simple idea: help technology suppliers navigate a system that seemed designed to keep them out. There was no 5-year plan or polished business model behind it, in fact, it all started in a coffee shop and grew to something I never envisioned.
A dozen years on, here’s what actually stuck.
1. The network is everything
When I left Brighton Council’s IT team as their SRM, I had about 6 weeks’ money in the bank. So I started emailing and messaging my network asking for help. I got so much positive feedback as well as introductions that it still makes me well up today thinking about everyone’s kindness and support. As one of my old bosses used to say, “Never burn your bridges unless you have to.” Mind you, he was ex-infantry.
2. Share openly and freely
My team often think I give too much info away and should be more circumspect about things. From day one, I’ve always been of the mindset that our knowledge should be freely shared, and people will pay for the deeper stuff. We had over 800 leads register for a webinar recently, which is a record for us, and we usually get more than 50% attendance, so in my opinion it does work.
3. It’s ok to say “thanks, but no”
Again, a day one rule. We all have the right to refuse work if the prospect or opportunity doesn’t feel right. We have a list of people we won’t work with again that has unfortunately been growing since 2024. Cultural fit is a massive indicator of longevity for us – 65% of our clients have been with us for over 5 years.
4. We don’t do bosses
I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of management (must be the chippy South East London council estate boy in me; Rage Against the Machine had this right). At Advice Cloud we try to keep a relatively flat structure, and everyone has a voice and a vote. No one is better than someone else. All you have is a bit more experience that you’re obligated to share. (PS that experience is very much valued.)
5. The Public Sector is a great place to work
The desire to do good and have an influence on changing aspects of people’s lives, rather than the pursuit of profits, motivates the team and our excellent clients. Yes, it’s tricky, bureaucratic and occasionally hugely frustrating, but the rewards are definitely there.
And speaking of such great purpose, it has led us to be Great Place To Work® certified for the past 2 years running!
6. On the subject of bureaucracy…
Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister should be mandatory watching for anyone interested in how the service works. For the younger folk, The Thick of It apparently is pretty useful too. When I worked on the buyer side, the first consideration for any new major procurement was “what will the red tops or Private Eye say?” A “courageous decision, Minister” usually gets their attention.
7. Transparency is key
G-Cloud was such a groundbreaker in its approach. The open sharing not only of services and price but also the spend and throughput data made available is still so far ahead of anything else out there. I’ve been using that lovely catalogue (in its various forms) for over 14 years now, and still nothing comes close. Yes, it’s been abused, but for me, this shows the scale of the problem elsewhere rather than blaming what people have to use to get things done. Hiding data just reinforces people’s misguided belief that the market is rigged. This is a hill I’m prepared to die on.
8. Kindness counts
I’m known for being an occasional prodder of government, especially on LinkedIn. However, I do try to be balanced on this and will often stand up for the side that isn’t really allowed to speak or challenge on social.
This is the essence of what Advice Cloud does: trying to help people understand what’s actually happening on the buyer side and why things happen the way they do. Sometimes there’s no reasonable explanation, though (DOS6, anyone?).
9. Community over competition
There’s a fabulous ecosystem of people and companies across the sub-sectors (Central, Local, Health, Justice, Blue Light, Education and more). I was really surprised again at just how willing people are to help each other.
TechUK is a great place to start, but you do need to put in the effort. People genuinely put their rivalries aside in this community to be supportive of the tech industry as a whole. I’ve made some amazing friends – far too many to mention – but please note that I hugely value everything you’ve brought to the market & Advice Cloud (& me) over the years.
10. Politicians
Meh, anyone know who this week’s Minister for Digital is? That said, I was on a call with Minister Ferguson last week about the new PPN026, and he knew his brief and was very open to our ideas. So there’s hope.
Also, my 10-year-old son was sitting in the background of that call and apparently went into school to say his dad was on a call with the Prime Minister… Pick-up is just not the same right now 😆
11. We’ve come a long way, baby
From a coffee shop via a cramped office in Hove to having a fully remote, UK-wide presence. We’ve got people all over the place now, and it’s such an honour to lead this amazing team! Looking forward to our next get-together in London for our Christmas shenanigans, and for the first time in a while, we have several of our advisers joining us all for a celebratory Christmas lunch.
As local hero Norm would say, “We’ve come a long, long way together…”
12. It’s all still worth it
12 years in, with all the grey hairs and framework acronyms that come with it, I’d do this all again in a heartbeat. Turns out helping good suppliers get a fair shot at public sector work is about as satisfying a way to spend a career as I could have hoped for. Thanks to everyone who has been part of the journey – this for sure isn’t the end of it!
